Target type combustion chamber having a closed end portion receiving conical fuel and oxidizer sprays



Sept. 9, 1952 R. H. GODDARD 2,609,658

TARGET TYPE COMBUSTION CHAMBER HAVING A CLOSED END PORTION I RECEIVINGCONICAL FUEL AND OXIDIZER SPRAYS Filed May 11,' 1946 05mm. Gamma. Z mezC.

QM. Am!

Patented Sept. 9, 1952 LTABGEuIi'rYPE'"cotmusrrionfonatmrn' 'HAVINGA"CLOSED END PORTION .R-EP v GEI'VING GONIGAL FUEL 1 OXI DI'ZERr SPRAYSRobertH. Goddard, deceased;- late :ofq Annapolis,

Md., ,by Esther. .0. Goddard; .executrix,TBaxton,. .Mass assignor ofone-halfltoj' rheznanrel and Florence "Guggenheim Foundation; New "York,

N. Y., a--corporation of- New 'Yorkf- I .111 This invention. relatestoa: combustion chamber of the type in which sprays of' combustionliquids. are directed-.towardthe closed or forward end. ofthe chamber,while. the combustion. gases are'ldi'scharged.through aflnozzle at .theopposite orlrearwardend ofthe chamber. The forward end portion of thechamber forms an axially. recessed or target portion of substantial idepth which constitutes almixingand ignition .chamber...

YItisthef' general Iobjectoffthis invention to provide iinproved meansfor feeding combustion liquids t'o atargettype combustion chamber.Aiurther. objectistd provide improved. constructions for .jacketing.andQcool-ing such a; combustion. chamber andflfor utilizing the..heat ofth e'icombustion. gasesto .warm the extremely cold liquid.oxygenicoininonly,.used as an oxidizing element. ..Improved.meansis..also. provided for preventingith.clogging:of ifthe. .apparatus,..when not. in. loperatiombynthe. condensing. and. freezin of 4 water. inthe. liquid Joxygen. feedingldevice. The inventioniurther.relates to.arrangements andcombinationsof parts which will be hereinafter,descriiied. .and'j-Irnone v.panticularly pointed out time appendedfclalims.-.

Preferred forms of the invention are shown in the drawing, inwhichz-Fig. 1 is a partial sectional side elevation of theimprovedcornbustionphambery Fig. 2 is a side view of a *coinplete'chamber;

part-lyin sectio'mzi Y Figh3 is a partial end elevation, looking. insthedirectionof the arrow 3 'in Figll; 7 Fig} 4 isa-side elevation. of anannular conical 'spray'pla'tej Eigi 5 .a detail sectional. view, taken.along thelineS -S in'Fig. 4; Fig." 6 is an enlarged perspective view ofa perforated disc tobedescribed-ya-nd- Fig. 7 is a partial isideelevation similarwto I 2- but showing a modifiedconstruction.

.Referringvto Figs. 1 and 2, .-a-.-oombustion chamber. C.:is.-shownhaving a discharge nozzle Nand having a target portion T. The chamber Chas a side wall 'fllr-the forwardportion of which is formed ina;seriesixof conical 'stepsril'z lqlland I6 connected by annular conicalringszion'spray plates 48, .29-iand122. One; otthesespra'yrplates, as22, is shown separately in Fig. 4.

Each of the plates is provided with a series of feed openings 24 throughwhich liquids may be sprayed to the recess R enclosed by the casing 2'!of the target T. The perforations 24 in adjacent plates are preferablystaggered, as shown in Fig, 3.

the spray plates n iicatiqn lM ui, 194s, serialndleaoss e Claims. (01.sci-35:6):

.72 When liquids. Iunden pressure caressuppl'i'd-f v 8;: .25. and 22,.spraysl. are. .in jected to the target-recess Rf andrfconyerge. atiapoint saidcrecessl ThemoreforLless vaa porized liquids arethusintimatelylintermi'ngled in the target recess andfwh'en.ignitedfitheucombustion: .gases are reflected .fr om -I thel target' T and pass from thetarget recess Rite the, chain.- ber C, where combustionuisacontinued;andltd the. discharge nozzle N, as indicatedby. the arrowsl-ain Fig'. 1.7 L g A preferred, manner of forming the feed. openings 2.4. irithespray plates I8, illand j-Lis shown: in Fit-5.. 5, .whererthe opening.24} .is pm.- duced by punching theJpla-te 221 outwardto produce. aconicalprojection or burr 2.5.withl ahole 2.4 in the apex. Assmallmetalplate 25L .is w'eld .ed-or. other-wise; securedover. leachprojecting por tion 25 and is providedswithi.a smallfaxial hole 21 andwithnotches 2,8,Jeach1havi gone curved edge as indicatedat 29..(Fig.6.).

Ausmall (straight. stream of liquid.Tisi.-projectd throughv the aligned:holes .211 'anduM, andladd-i- .tional. and somewhatangularlyidisposed;fstiieains 'arelproj e'cted. throughlj'the notches2.8.:to, ?the.l1'ole .2![and 'a-reg'iVena rotary oriwhirlingim'citionlbythe curved edges, or lips The liquid stream from each feed opening 2'5is thus more orkl'e'fss broken up, so that. effective intermingling inthe .tar'getrecessRisfalcilitatedl Thechamber C has anoutercasingBGpriVidF ing .a jacket. space .31.. surrounding 5. the central andexit/portion of the chamber and also the dis;- ,charge nozzle .N.The-forward or .rightiehand portion of the chamber...(as.viewe'dlinthedrawi'ngs) .isprovided; withlan outer. casing. 332Iwhich ,coactswith. the chamber wall? l0. to.;- provide. a secondfjacket space'j34.Thetargetv portionlT has. an outer casing .3filcoactingwith ythe wall21.- otthe. recess R, to provide a thirdrjacket space 3 lFig; 1).,

A1 partition 73 5 separatesrgthe i ac-ket' spaces, 31

and :34 ,1 a nd adjacent. the partition-35:;thezispace this connected:by a; pipe :10 to: .an-;annula'nmem hen: or: VOlHtBiJM .which--surroundsiith conical portiorrii 2. of the combustion cliambeh wall and-alsothezspray plate 201 An oxidizing liquid,- -as liquid? oxygeng -mayhe introduced under pressure to the jacket space 34 through a feed pipe44 (Fig. 2) and is sprayed through feed openings 24 in the conical sprayplate l8. Liquid fuel, as gasoline, is fed under pressure through anaxially positioned pipe 46 to the jacket space 31 surrounding the targetportion T. The liquid fuel is then sprayed uid is conducted by the pipe40 to the volute- 41, where it is sprayed into the target recess Rthrough feed openings 24 in the conical spray plate 20.

If the addition of an inert cooling liquid to the combustion mixture isnot desired, the pipe 40 may be closed by a valve 50 (Fig. 2) and thecooling liquid may be discharged from the jacket space 3| through awaste pipe 5i provided with any usual shut-off valve 5 l a.

With the construction above uid fuel and liquid oxygen, with or withoutthe addition of a third and inert liquid, are sprayed to the targetrecess R where they are thoroughly intermingled and ignited, and theburning mixture is then ejected to the combustion chamber C wherecombustion is continued, and from which the combustion gases aredischarged through the nozzle N.

A combustion chamber thus constructed operates with high efiiciency, andall parts of the apparatus are effectively cooled.

A modified construction is shown in Fig. 7 in which provision is made toprevent clogging of the oxygen spray plate l8 by freezing when thecombustion chamber is not in operation. For this purpose, asupplementary jacket casing 60 is mounted outside of the jacket casing30 previously described, thereby enclosing an outer jacket space 6! towhich liquid nitrogen is supplied. Heat from the water in the jacketspace 31 warms the liquid nitrogen. I The outer jacket space 6| isconnected by a supply pipe 63 to a three-way valve 64 which may beoperated by a solenoid 65. The valve 64 'also has a. supply pipe 66 forliquid oxygen and 1. Combustion apparatus comprising a combustionchamber having a discharge nozzle at one end and having a closed axialextension providing a target recess at the other end, and a pluralitydescribed, liqof conical spray plates positioned at the end of saidcombustion chamber adjacent said recess and through which platesconverging concentric conical sprays of two difierent combustion liquidsare directed toward the closed outer end of said target recess.

2. Combustion apparatus comprising a combustion chamber having adischarge nozzle at one end and having a closed axial extension providmga target recess at the other end, said chamber having a series ofconical wall portionsconnected by conical spray plates positioned at theend of said combustion chamber adjacent said recess and through whichplates two different combustion liquids are injected in convergingstreams toward the closed outer end of said target recess, and means tofeed said liquids to said spray plates.

3. Combustion apparatus comprising a combustion chamber having adischarge nozzle at one end and having an axial extension providing a.target recess at the other end, means to inject combustion liquids inconcentric conical sprays directed toward the closed end of said targetrecess, and said injecting means comprising a a feed'pipe 68 connectingthe valve 64 to the oxygen jacket space 69 and spray plate '10, theseparts'corresponding to the feed pipe 44, jacket space 34 and spray plate18 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The three-way valve 64 and solenoid 65 may beof any commercial construction and the spray plate 10 may be similar tothe spray plate 18 shown in Fig. 1 or the spray plate 22 shown in Fig.4. j

' During operation of the combustion chamber C, the valve 64 is set bythe solenoid 65 to con- "nect the supply pipe 66 through the feed pipe68 to the jacket space 59 and spray plate 10. When operation of thechamber C is to be discontinued, the solenoid 65 is energized to shiftthe valve 64 to shut oi the oxygen supply pipe 66 and to connect thenitrogen supply pipe 63 to the feed pipe 68. The warmed nitrogen gas,which is entirely dry, is thenallowed to flow through th feed pipe 68,jacket space 69 and spray plate 10 until these parts are thoroughlywarmed and until all con- 'densed moisture is evaporated and removed.All

danger of clogging of the feed openings in the spray plate I8 is thusefiectively avoided.

jacket surrounding a portion of the combustion chamber and havingsprayopenings for injecting the combustion liquid in said jacket as arearwardly directed conical spray to said target recess, and a secondjacket surrounding said target extension and having spray openings forinjecting a second combustion liquid insaid second jacket as a coaxialand rearwardly directed conical spray to said target recess. ESTHER C.GODDARD, Executrz'a: of the Last Will and Testament of Robert H.Goddard, Deceased.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of.this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Astronautics No. 33-March 1936,page 8, Fig. VIII.

Aviation January 1944, page 148.

